Guardian of Fukushima

By Ewen Blain & Fabien Grolleau. Published by Tokyopop

Softcover, 160 pages, Colour, 2023 (originally published in French in 2021)

March 11th, 2011: a massive earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a devastating tsunami which, in turn, destroyed the three core reactors of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This tragedy cost almost 20,000 lives and devastated countless more, including Naoto Matsumura, a farmer ordered to evacuate from the deadly radiation zone. Unwilling to abandon his beloved animals, Matsumura chose to return home to his farm, and to fight for the beauty of life. This powerful graphic novel from France intertwines Matsumura's story of human resilience and compassion with the compelling mythology of Japanese folk tales.